HEALTHIER, SAFER, GREENER

JOURNEYS TO SCHOOL Hertfordshire’s Sustainable Modes of Travel

Strategy (SMoTS)

For School and Colleges 2019/20

July 2019

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Contents

Chapter 1 Page 3

Introduction to the Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTS)

Chapter 2 Page 7

The Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy in Context

Chapter 3 Page 19

Assessing the Travel & Transport Needs of Children and Young People

Chapter 4 Page 27

Audit of the Existing Sustainable Travel and Transport Infrastructure

Chapter 5 Page 36

The Strategy

Chapter 6 Page 48

Conclusion

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Chapter 1 Introduction to the Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTS)

1.1 Background This Strategy sets out the vision of Hertfordshire County Council to increase opportunities for children and young people to travel to, from and between schools and colleges by sustainable modes. It provides a breakdown of existing school travel patterns and outlines the actions and processes that will be adopted to improve the viability of sustainable travel. The Education and Inspections Act (2006) defines sustainable modes of travel as "those that may improve the physical wellbeing of the individuals who use them, the environmental well-being of all or part of the local authority's area, or a combination of the two". Hertfordshire County Council interprets this as walking, cycling, scooting travelling by bus or train, and car-sharing. This Act places a requirement on all local authorities to promote the use of sustainable travel and transport to school. Included within this are “children and young people of 6th form age” and, therefore, further education colleges must also be considered. This builds on a substantial body of work that Hertfordshire has undertaken such as school travel plans, safer routes to school, accessibility planning and other initiatives, all of which are considered throughout this document. The Act also outlines the responsibility that each local authority has to provide travel arrangements for children in their area, clarifying those who are eligible for free or subsidised travel (see Sections 2.4 and 3.8). In line with the requirements of the Act, Hertfordshire County Council is required to produce and publish its Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTS) by 31st August on the internet each year and this can be found by going to: https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/travel-to-school/school-travel-plans.aspx Although this document is for anyone with an interest in school travel, it is aimed primarily at internal stakeholders, outlining their responsibilities and providing them with the technical details of the Strategy. However, the Authority is keen to ensure that any person or group with an interest or involvement in school travel can also contribute towards its development and details about this can be found in Section 2.6. The School Travel section of the Council's website is a key part of the Strategy delivery. It currently holds travel information for schools and families about travel planning and setting up initiatives that can be included in an effective travel plan. It also hosts the Schools Locator which helps parents and carers locate and plan the journey to their chosen school. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/home-to-school-transport/locate-a-school-and-plan-your-journey.aspx#

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1.2 Hertfordshire in Context Hertfordshire was home to over 1.18 million people in 2016 and is the second most densely populated county in England. This number is projected to increase to over 1.43 million by 2039, an increase of 21% (Local Transport Plan 4 2018). The number of children and young people in the county is expected to increase by 19% by 2037 (Environment Department Service Plan 2019/20). Approximately 190,000 children are educated in the county's network of over 600 schools, 429 of which are primary schools. As such, Hertfordshire is one of the largest education authorities in the country. This, combined with the difficult and unique transport issues facing Hertfordshire as a whole, presents the Authority with a real challenge in the development of its Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTS). Hertfordshire has some of the highest car/van ownership levels in the country. 87% of residents have access to a car compared to 74% nationally (Hertfordshire Transport Facts

2017). There are also high levels of multiple car ownership. Although pockets of deprivation exist, the county is generally affluent. For many the car is an affordable and convenient mode of travel and the Authority is working to encourage these users to switch to more sustainable modes such as walking, cycling and using public transport. The most common mode of travelling to school is walking (45%) followed by travel by car (40%). Overall 60% of pupils travel to school by sustainable modes including 3% who cycle, 9% bus and 2% train (Hertfordshire Transport Facts 2017). Hertfordshire’s new Local Transport Plan dated May 2018 (LTP4) has been developed to provide a framework to guide all the county’s future transport planning and investment. It highlights transport problems and issues and identifies ways Hertfordshire County Council, as the highways authority, can deal with them www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ltp Amongst others, the SMoTS will help to deliver policy 1: Transport User Hierarchy, policy 3: Travel Plans and Behaviour Change, policy 7: Active Travel – Walking, policy 8: Active Travel – Cycling, policy 17: Road Safety. Challenges identified inLTP4 include significant housing growth planned in future years, much greater in scale than recent times. The county’s population is forecast to grow by 21% by 2039 from 1.18 million in 2016 (Local Transport Plan 4 – LTP4). Traffic levels in Hertfordshire grew by 1.7% between 2015 and 2016 (Hertfordshire

Transport Facts 2017). With travel demand increasing in future years, continued reliance on high levels of car use will lead to worsening congestion and journey time reliability. Further traffic growth will have a negative impact on public health.

The geography of Hertfordshire also impacts on travel choice. There is no one dominant settlement acting as the core of the transport network, rather a number of medium sized towns dotted across the county separated by only a few miles. This has resulted in complex transport interactions so, for many children, their choice of transport to school is restricted. East-west transport links are much less developed than north-south routes and represent a significant challenge to encouraging passenger transport journeys.

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To help address these issues the Council has in place a number of transport policies and associated work programmes to improve the viability of sustainable travel in Hertfordshire. This Strategy will build on these existing proposals and develop new initiatives where necessary to increase the proportion of pupils travelling to school or college by sustainable modes. 1.3 Vision, Aims and Objectives The vision of Hertfordshire's SMoTS has been developed in conjunction with stakeholders and key partners (see Section 2.6). Our vision is:

"To increase opportunities for children and young people to travel to, from and between educational establishments by sustainable modes, thus improving their physical wellbeing and/or the quality of the local environment."

To achieve this vision, five key aims have been developed. Our aims are:- To reduce the use of the car for journeys to, from and between educational

establishments;

To improve accessibility to, from and between educational establishments;

To improve child road safety;

To improve child health through active travel and therefore reduce congestion and

pollution around schools;

To improve the quality of the local environment by reducing traffic in and around school sites.

Together these form the overarching elements of the Strategy and the end points that the Authority is striving to achieve. A number of more specific objectives have been formed to help meet these aims. Our objectives are:- 1) To improve walking routes to, from and between educational establishments; 2) To improve cycle routes to, from and between educational establishments,

and improve the cycle facilities within them; 3) To support the delivery of passenger transport services to, from and between

educational establishments;

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4) To promote the safer use of the sustainable transport infrastructure; 5) To inform pupils and parents/carers of the travel options available to them

(including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities); 6) To offer engagement in the travel plan process to schools and colleges; 7) To encourage partnership working and strengthen links to other plans,

policies and initiatives;

8) To continue SMoTS development and assess its effectiveness.

9) To develop travel plan guidance for new school developments and expansions incorporated into HCC’s Business and Residential Travel Plan Guidance.

These form the backbone of the Strategy and are discussed in detail in Chapter 5.

1.4 Strategy Development Process The Government's Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for Local Authorities which outlines in more detail the expectations for the Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy. It states that there are four main elements of the duty:-

An assessment of the travel and transport needs of children and young people - This is outlined in Chapter 3 where existing travel patterns are analysed and the barriers to sustainable travel are discussed. The potential to increase the proportion of children travelling sustainably is also examined.

An audit of the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure that may be used when travelling to, from or between educational institutions - Chapter 4 provides a summary of the transport infrastructure audit that was undertaken.

A strategy to develop the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure

within the authority so that the travel and transport needs of children and young people are better catered for - Chapter 5 forms the main strategy and includes its aims and objectives.

The promotion of sustainable travel and transport modes on the journey

to, from and between schools and other educational institutions – Section 5.5 looks specifically at this element of the duty.

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Chapter 2 The SMoTS in Context

2.1 Introduction The school journey is not just an issue for pupils, parents/carers and schools. Many other individuals and organisations have an interest or responsibility in relation to school travel and these key partners must be included and consulted throughout the Strategy development. As detailed in this chapter there are also a number of existing plans, policies and programmes in place which play a significant part in influencing the school journey. It is important to have an appreciation of these, as well as the various targets and performance indicators that have been set, to ensure that the Strategy is successful in achieving its vision. This chapter sets the context in which the Strategy has been developed and provides a summary of the issues which will influence its development. 2.2 Link to National and Regional Policies and Programmes Although the requirement to develop a SMoTS is a direct result of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, it is also the culmination of a number of Government initiatives such as the Government’s 2017 Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) which aims to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey, adopting a new approach to the way that schools shape a child's everyday life. These can be broadly broken down into the following categories: Educational Reform, Health, Sustainability and Safety. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/603527/cycling-walking-investment-strategy.pdf

Educational Reform

Changes in national policy following the formation of the coalition government in 2010 lead to an increased emphasis on localism and impact on outcomes which has significantly changed the role of the Local Authority. The Schools White Paper (‘The Importance of Teaching’) and subsequent Education Bill envisaged a role for the Local Authority (LA) as champion on behalf of parents/carers, children and families. With proposals that give schools greater autonomy and responsibility for managing their own improvement, the LA has a more strategic commissioning role for school places and provision, including the co-ordination of school admissions. The Local Authority is expected to secure or provide services for vulnerable pupils and those with additional needs so that schools and colleges are supported in tackling barriers to learning, narrowing the gap in achievement and promoting emotional health and wellbeing. It also retained its existing wider Children’s Services functions for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. At the same time, changes in funding arrangements for many services and activities have seen a significant increase in the proportion of funding directly provided to schools rather

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than through the Local Authority. In order to meet the requirements of providing a curriculum that meets the needs of all learners, schools are working together in partnership groups. Consequently, many students travel during the school day to different sites. The SMoTS must, therefore, consider not just home-to-school travel but also travel between institutions, including Further Education (FE) colleges and independent training providers. Following the change in law in 2014, young people must now be in education, training or apprenticeship until they are 18 years of age. The Education and Inspections Act (2006) built on the Government's Travelling to School Initiative (TTSI), a partnership between schools, local authorities, the DfE and the Department for Transport (DfT). This initiative aims to address the trend towards greater car dependency and comprises a series of measures designed to increase the use of healthy and sustainable modes of transport and reduce congestion in relation to pupils’ travel to and from school. This initiative encouraged schools and local authorities to work together to develop School Travel Plans. Although the Travelling to School Initiative has now concluded, Hertfordshire continues to encourage School Travel Plans and is using the Modeshift STARS on line system for this purpose https://www.modeshiftstars.org/ In relation to younger children, a policy document was published in July 2011 by the coalition government 'Supporting Families in the Foundation Years'. This emphasised:-

the role of parent/carer support and home learning; the importance of the 3 and 4 year old free place entitlement in preparing

children for school; the expansion of free places for disadvantaged 2 year olds; the need for free places to be flexible to meet family needs; the importance of understanding child development and the whole needs of

the child; the streamlining of the requirements within the Early Years Foundation

Stage (EYFS) curriculum framework to make it less bureaucratic; a revised core purpose for children's centres to target support for the most

disadvantaged families; the need for the continuation of workforce reform to keep raising the

qualifications levels of the workforce; the LA's responsibility in managing and supporting the sector as it is not yet

secure and stable enough to move towards the school self-managing model; the need for payment by results, including quality premiums; children’s centre travel plans and initiatives continue to be supported by

Hertfordshire County Council’s Active and Safer Travel Team and Children’s Services Early Years Practitioners help settings working with the very young to promote the benefits of active and safer travel.

Regarding Extended Schools, nationally this has not been mentioned and it is assumed schools will choose to continue with the activities they value.

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From September 2011 Local Partnerships were established to ensure a mechanism exists to promote a local network of services and to support schools and groups of schools. The concept of an Extended School, with its wider community involvement, has obvious implications for school travel and this SMoTS must ensure that it meets the needs of children and young people who take advantage of these services. Health Hertfordshire’s latest ‘Health Profiles to 2018 Tartan Rug’ indicates that 28.9% of children in year 6 are classified as overweight (including obese), with the national average being 34.2%. https://www.hertshealthevidence.org/data/data.aspx?searchInput=&page=3&resultsPerPage=10&view=card A significant issue here is that, between Reception and Year 6, childhood obesity increases significantly. Furthermore, the link between inequality and obesity becomes much more apparent by Year 6. It is noted that Stevenage (34.2%), Watford (34.8% and Broxbourne (36.2%), the districts with the highest levels of Year 6 obesity, also experience significant levels of deprivation. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop diseases like diabetes and heart disease at a younger age. Excess weight can also affect self-esteem and mental health. Obesity, as well as its related diseases, is largely preventable and the overall health problems associated with individuals being overweight or obese cost the NHS over £5 billion a year. http://obesityhealthalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/OHA-briefing-paper-Costs-of-Obesity-.pdf Tackling growing obesity levels requires partnership working in many areas and increasing levels of physical activity is a key element. The role of active travel to and from school, therefore, has a crucial role in promoting physical activity and establishing good habits/behaviours early in life. There will also be broader benefits for a child’s family and peers. In the UK the average distance from home to primary schools is 1.5 miles. At a steady walking pace this could represent an additional one hour of exercise each day for children and their parents/carers who otherwise might travel by car. In Hertfordshire the value of encouraging active travel to school is recognised by Public Health and the need for schools to have an active School Travel Plan is reflected in Hertfordshire Healthy Weight Strategic Plan 2014-2019. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/media-library/documents/public-health/professionals/healthy-weight-strategic-plan.pdf Sustainability The international Eco-Schools Award Scheme encourages schools to consider sustainable development at the heart of their whole school management practices and provides practical guidance to help schools operate in a more sustainable way.

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https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/ The Sustainable Schools Alliance, a group of charities and NGOs, provide resources linked to the original ‘Sustainable Schools Framework’ and Modeshift, the national sustainable travel organisation, is a member of this alliance. http://sustainable-schools-alliance.org.uk/ Safety In May 2011 the Department for Transport published its new “Strategic Framework for Road Safety” document. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/8146/strategicframework.pdf The framework does not include national targets but recognises the need to teach children how to use the roads safely as pedestrians and cyclists. Reducing road casualties would also contribute to the targets for overall casualty reduction set by the ‘Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation White Paper’. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265576/4386.pdf Based on 2017 data, child casualties (aged 0 to 15 years) decreased by 11.5% (34) to 261. There was 1 child fatality, the first since 2014. (Hertfordshire Road Casualty

Facts 2018). https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/media-library/documents/highways/transport-and-accident-data/hertfordshire-road-casualty-facts-2018-based-on-2017-data.pdf The County Council also encourages parents/carers and schools to promote safer behaviour to ensure that children have the skills needed to use roads safely. This is considered further in Section 2.3. 2.3 Link to Local Policies and Programmes As well as ensuring the Strategy is developed in the context of the National Policy Framework, a number of key local plans and policies will significantly influence the SMoTS. These span the many different services that Hertfordshire County Council deliver and it is important to appreciate how SMoTS links to them. An outline of the most relevant plans is provided below. Figure 2.3 shows the key strategic plans in Hertfordshire that relate to SMoTS. For information on Hertfordshire’s school transport policy, please go to Section 2.4. Figure 2.3 Summary of key strategic plans and relevance to SMoTS Hertfordshire County Council's Corporate Plan 2017-2021 sets out the overall

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vision of the County Council, and outlines the ways in which the Authority will make Hertfordshire a better place to live and work and provide the best possible services.

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/freedom-of-information-and-council-data/open-data-statistics-about-hertfordshire/what-our-priorities-are-and-how-were-doing/corporate-plan-2017-21.aspx Priority/Theme

Relevant Objective/Indicator

Corporate Plan

Opportunity to be Healthy and Safe

Reduced levels of unhealthy weight through encouraging healthy active lifestyles.

Further reductions in the number of deaths through safer roads.

Opportunity to Thrive A cleaner and greener county with a reduced carbon footprint.

Opportunity to Prosper

A transport network which enables reasonable and predictable journey times with reduced congestion and reliable passenger transport services. Appropriate capacity for business and economic growth.

Opportunity to Take Part

Local democracy actively promoted in schools and through initiatives such as the introduction of the Junior Travel Ambassadors Scheme.

Local Transport Plan (LTP4) Improve access to international gateways and regional centres outside Hertfordshire

Enhance connectivity between urban centres in Hertfordshire

Improve accessibility between employers and their labour markets

Enhance journey reliability and network resilience across Hertfordshire

2018-2031 (LTP4)

The wider context for school travel planning is set out in the Local Transport Act

2008 which includes a statutory obligation for local highway authorities to prepare a

Local Transport Plan (LTP). A new fourth Local Transport Plan (LTP4), has been

developed and was published in May 2018. This plan looks ahead to 2050 and sets

out how transport can help deliver a positive future vision of Hertfordshire. As well

as providing for safe and efficient travel, transport has a major input into wider

polices such as economic growth, meeting housing needs, improving public health

and reducing environmental damage. A core feature of LTP4 is reduce the demand

to travel and to do more to improve conditions for sustainable modes such as

walking, cycling and passenger transport. This is in recognition of their role in

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reducing traffic growth, reducing environmental impact, increasing physical activity

and improving health. In addition, the impact of vehicle emissions on people’s health

from poor air quality has become a more prominent issue in recent years. Changing

travel behaviour in the county is a core theme of LTP4.

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ltp

The background behind the development of LTP4 is available on the Council’s web

pages, with access to the various reports that preceded the plan.

Hertfordshire Vision

We want Hertfordshire to continue to be a county where people have to opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives in thriving, prosperous communities.

Prosperity • Better links between towns & cities • Reduced need to travel • Resilient and reliable network • Less car dependent and more integrated, accessible & sustainable transport • Positioned in the Golden Triangle (London, Oxford and Cambridge) • Increased business and tourism opportunities

Place • Limited impacts of climate change • Development and regeneration • Improved local environment and green infrastructure • Heritage and places of character retained • Adequate, affordable & environmentally sensitive housing

People • Improved quality of life • Vibrant and healthy communities • Active and inclusive transport • Varied and accessible employment opportunities

The LTP4 has accessibility integrated throughout, aiming to improve the standard of access for all to the key services of education, health, work, food shopping and leisure by the most appropriate form of transport. Hertfordshire County Council’s Accessibility Strategy, which is currently being re-written and will be available from January 2020, is a supporting document of Hertfordshire’s LTP4. It comprises an assessment of the level of accessibility of key services at the strategic level within the county. The vision for improving accessibility in Hertfordshire was developed in conjunction with stakeholders and key partners as part of the previous Accessibility Strategy and remains appropriate:

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“To have a reasonable standard of access for all by appropriate transport to the key services of health, learning, work, food shopping and leisure.” Accessibility planning is at the heart of the SMoTS development and a considerable amount of work has already been carried out to determine accessibility to schools and colleges.

Road Safety Partnership Strategy

New Strategy Available in January 2020

Active Travel Strategy To increase the levels of walking and cycling in the county, particularly for shorter journeys and as part of longer journeys, for a positive impact on individual health, the environment and the economy

To ensure active travel contributes fully to improving public health in Hertfordshire.

School Travel Plans (STPs) are another key area to increasing sustainable school travel and, in many ways, form the backbone of the SMoTS. To develop a STP, the school consults and engages with interested parties such as pupils, parents/carers, staff and governors. Baseline travel data is collected, together with an assessment of the travel and transport issues including barriers and opportunities to sustainable travel. A series of actions are then proposed to make it easier and safer for the school community to walk, cycle or use public transport on the school journey, thereby reducing the number of car trips on the school journey. The plan should then be reviewed and updated yearly. Hertfordshire County Council’s Active & Safer Travel Team supports schools and colleges to develop their STPs. Each Officer works directly with education establishments to provide direction and support, resulting in a tailored school travel plan suited to the individual needs and circumstances of that facility. Schools are encouraged to adopt the Modeshift STARS scheme for travel planning. By working towards the accreditation levels of bronze, silver and gold, schools evidence that the activities they promote produce a modal shift away from the car to sustainable modes of travel. This SMoTS will help to ensure that it becomes easier for schools to identify the barriers to sustainable travel and that a clear process for remedial action is in place. In addition, it will help provide schools with the information that they need to promote

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sustainable travel. Reviews of schools’ travel plans will help schools identify new needs and appropriate initiatives to address them. In line with the growth agenda for Hertfordshire STPs are developed for new school developments or as part of a ‘School Expansion Programme’ and are a requirement as part of the planning application process. The County Council's Highways Development Management team review these planning applications and the accompanying STPs are reviewed and commented on by HCC’s Active & Safer Travel Team activeandsafertravel@hertfordshire.gov.uk The SMoTS provides an ideal platform for issues surrounding school travel to form an integral part of School Building Programmes. For example, cycle parking and sheltered waiting areas could be incorporated into plans for new or renovated schools. Issues of road safety can also be addressed. The Safer Routes to School (SRTS) programme can form an integral part of School Travel Plan development. This programme generally deals with the physical implementation of works within the school site or public highway such as improving or providing footpath and cycle facilities, signage, crossings and traffic calming. Only education establishments that have committed to developing a STP and have achieved Modeshift STARS accreditation are eligible for SRTS funding and schools are selected annually through the SRTS ranking process. Careful consideration is given to those schools which are invited to take part and a number of individuals are consulted to determine the most appropriate measures to encourage sustainable travel to schools. Road safety is one of the main concerns of many parents/carers when considering their child's journey to school. The Authority is re-writing its current Road Safety Strategy which will link to LTP4 and will be a partnership strategy to improve safety for all by minimising the number of collisions and injuries using the Vision Zero concept and the Safe Systems Approach. This will be achieved through road safety education and training, safety audits, engineering measures and enforcement. The Council are up-dating its current Bus & Intalink Strategy, Rail Strategy, and Active Travel Strategy www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ltp, all of which should be available by early 2020. Each of these outlines a package of measures to improve the sustainable transport network, helping to achieve the vision of this SMoTS. Emissions from traffic are a major contributor to air quality problems which can have serious impacts on childhood and adult health. The County Council seeks to reduce levels of harmful emissions by promoting a change in travel behaviour to encourage a modal shift in journeys from cars to walking, cycling and passenger transport. Therefore SMoTS plays an important role in delivering and promoting sustainable transport to schools and reducing harmful traffic emissions. The SMoTS also feeds into the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) which contains tailored area action plans to ensure that footpaths, cycle tracks, bridleways

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and byway routes are adequately signposted, maintained and free from obstruction. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/media-library/documents/environment-and-planning/countryside-access-and-management/rights-of-way/improvement-plans/rights-of-way-improvement-plan-201718-202728.pdf Finally, whilst it is important to ensure compatibility of this Strategy with national, regional and county-level policies, there should also be appreciation of Local Plans at district level which are currently being produced by all 10 district and borough councils. 2.4 Home to School Transport Policy It is very important for parents and carers to consider how their child will travel to school. Parents and carers need to decide whether it is more important for their child to attend a school of their preference, which may be some distance from their home, or opt for a school nearer their home. For entitlement to free home to school transport please refer to the Council’s “Statutory Only” policy. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/home-to-school-transport/home-to-school-transport.aspx Hertfordshire's full Home to School Transport Policy can be obtained from www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions. This policy also covers in detail the arrangements for low income families, pupils with special educational needs, disability and mobility difficulties, and children with temporary medical conditions.

Please note that the county’s Admissions Policy and the Home to

School Transport Policy are separate.

The priority areas used for admissions are not relevant when considering whether a

child has a statutory entitlement to school transport. Parents and carers can make an

application to any school but their child will only have one nearest suitable school for

transport purposes. There is one exception which relates to children aged 11 – 16 of

families on a low income (more information is available by going to the above link).

This means that the nearest suitable school for transport can be different from the

“nearest school” used for allocating places under the County Council’s Admission

Rules.

In summary, free transport will be provided for all children attending their nearest suitable school regardless of county boundaries where the distance from home to school is over the statutory walking distance. This distance is: More than 2 miles from home for children aged 8 and under More than 3 miles from home for children aged 8 and over

Schools in a neighbouring authority are included when considering the nearest suitable school for transport purposes. Families living near to the Hertfordshire border may find that their nearest suitable school, for transport purposes, is in a neighbouring authority and may wish to take this into account when making their

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application.

Free travel may also be provided if families are on low income or on road safety grounds where the walking route does not meet certain guidelines with regard to safety. The Council has due regard to the Equalities Act 2010 and the obligations set out within this, which aim to reduce the barriers that people with physical or mental impairments experience. This is considered further in Chapter 3, Pupil Travel Needs (Section 3.8). In addition, students aged 11 to 18 in Hertfordshire qualify for reduced public bus fares with a Hertfordshire SaverCard. The current level of discount entitles the holder to travel for half the normal adult fare, at all times, on local bus services within Hertfordshire. For more details see www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/passengertransport From September 2012, the County Council has operated a “Statutory Only” Home to School Transport Policy together with an Exceptions Framework and Appeals process. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/Schools-and-education/School-admissions/Home-to-school-transport/Home-to-school-transport.aspx Sustainable access to schools of preference has been achieved through capacity building with the support of both commercial operators and schools to achieve arrangements which will be cost neutral to the County Council. A full set of these routes is available at: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/edlearn/admissions/schadhtst/buscoachroutestoschools Any spare seats in Education E Routes are sold to those applying for these seats. Seats are allocated according to published criteria and the published charges. The School Transport Strategy aligns with the new ways of working especially in relation to local sustainable solutions and community leadership. Capacity Building Support, Partnership and Innovation The promotion of the School Transport Strategy has involved significant engagement and capacity building support with a range of partners. The aim has been to move away from the County Council being a benevolent funder of discretionary school transport to one that promotes others entering the market place and maintaining sustainable options for families sending their children to schools of preference. For those areas where there is less discretionary demand, particularly in a few rural areas, there is less support to access options. In these areas we have encouraged sustainable travel through alternative options e.g. community led initiatives and informal car sharing. SMoTS Objectives

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Following the change to the statutory School Transport Policy, SMoTS has an important role to play in continuing to promote and encourage schools, parents/carers and children to use sustainable travel modes for school related travel. The sustainable travel agenda will continue to be addressed through the existing package of actions under each of its objectives e.g. the development of the School Travel section of the County Council's website. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/travel-to-school/school-travel-plans.aspx 2.5 Link to Targets and Performance Indicators As well as contributing to the aims of other plans and policies, the SMoTS will assist with a number of specific targets that have been set by the County Council and other organisations. LTP4 uses monitoring data in the form of performance indicators to assess whether schemes/projects are leading to greater numbers of people using sustainable transport i.e. walking, cycling, use of passenger transport and car sharing. The Active & Safer Travel Team use Modeshift STARS to monitor changes in travel behaviour. LTP4 updates the monitoring framework to ensure it uses the most robust data that is easily available. A 2005/06 baseline figure of 57.5% was originally established using "hands up" data collected through tutor group surveys as this was the most readily available at the time. The Modeshift STARS 2016/17 hands up survey results showed that 70.1% of pupils are travelling sustainably to school. This is a measure of the success of school travel plans and initiatives that the Active & Safer Travel Team promotes and supports. These figures represent 22,613 children and are very positive with a reduction in car use from 27.5% to 27.3% since the previous year and small increases in active travel. From 2005 to 2015 the County "Hands Up" survey was carried out each year and determined the “actual” and “preferred” travel mode of each child that took part. Further details about this survey can be found in Section 3.2. Through a robust consultation process, a 2015/16 target of 65% for children aged 5-10 years and 78% target for children aged 11-16 was agreed as part of LTP3 and this target will continue as part of LTP4. However, in HCC’s 2018 Transport & Traffic Data Report the age groups have been refined to 5-11 years and 11–18 years and sustainable travel is calculated at 72% for 5-11 years and 79% for 11-18 years www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ttdr Since 2012 mode of travel data has not been collected by the School Census. Hertfordshire County Council now monitors modeshift by using Modeshift STARS on-line survey data system and the Living Streets on-line Travel Tracker system.

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The DfT recommends that Local Authorities review their mode of travel baseline data and use School Census information (which was collected annually) to monitor this indicator. The ‘Hands Up in Herts’ travel survey found that, although there was a fair degree of variation between the two data sources for some schools, the overall County comparison was very close. As such, it was decided that the current target and trajectories are still valid. The 2017/18 Modeshift STARS hands up survey results showed that 72% of both primary and secondary students (22,631 pupils) are now travelling sustainably to school. This is a measure of the success of school travel plans and initiatives that the Active and Safer Travel Team promote and support. Section 2.3 lists the five goals of LTP4 that are supported by SMoTS. Other parts of the County Council have their own specific targets and these are examined in more detail in Chapter 5. 2.6 Partnership Working Each of the plans and policies mentioned in Section 2.3 are put together by their own specific team within the County Council. Many of these teams work in partnership with one another and regularly meet to discuss links to each other’s area of work. Partnership working is about collaborating to generate solutions to problems that single agencies cannot solve, improving services that users receive and enhancing coordination of services across organisational boundaries. Furthermore, various organisations and individuals outside the County Council may also have an interest in school travel e.g. the ten district and borough councils within Hertfordshire. The SMoTS must work with these councils to ensure that it fits in with local plans and policies. Other interested parties include the Police, Fire and Rescue and the Public Health teams, the schools themselves and all those associated directly with them e.g. governors, parents/carers and pupils. The County Council also has a number of steering groups and forums in place that meet regularly to discuss matters relating to school travel. These give a valuable opportunity for officers from different parts of the Authority to come together and discuss the latest developments, ideas and proposals. Of particular relevance is the Sustainable Travel Action Group (STAG) which meets regularly and includes representatives from the Active and Safer Travel Team, School Transport & Admissions section, Countryside Management and Rights of Way, Safer Routes to School and Hertfordshire Highways. The meetings represent an opportunity for officers to keep up-to-date on current school travel issues, discuss the latest developments for improving sustainable school travel options, decide targets and work programmes and generally maintain thriving working relationships. There are regular progress reports on SMoTS` development to the group.

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Major Safer Routes to School schemes provide a key opportunity for representatives of the school community to come together to discuss matters relating to school travel. Invitees to forum meetings can include the headteacher, governors, parents/carers, pupils, local councillors and representatives from residents’ associations in addition to County Council officers. Meetings explore the options available to increase sustainable journeys to school which may be a mixture of hard measures e.g. engineering such as crossings, new paths etc., or soft measures such as promoting walking, cycling, park and stride opportunities or car share initiatives. 2.7 Funding Sources There are a number of possible sources of funding available to implement the measures identified in this SMoTS. These may require partnership working and the use of more than one budget source to jointly fund the same scheme. As discussed in section 2.3, the Local Transport Plan sets the framework for achieving a better transport system for all, setting out the Authority's local transport strategies and policies and an implementation programme. Capital funding to help with the delivery of the LTP4 is made available by central government to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and through Strategic Economic Plans (SEPs). Authorities also receive revenue funding for transport via the wider local government financial settlement. The main transport element of this is an allocation for routine highway maintenance. The Safer Routes to School programme is provided with a budget from the LTP for the delivery of highway improvement schemes which encourage safe and sustainable travel to school. SRTS is considered in more detail in Section 2.3. The SRTS programme and associated funding is another way of delivering the aims and objectives of this SMoTS. Funding assigned to the Schools Building Programme also helped towards the implementation of some aspects of the SMoTS e.g. cycle storage and access arrangements for pedestrians. In some cases, the impact on the highway resulting from proposed new developments may justify the request for developer contributions known as Section 106 monies (S106). This means that developers pay a financial contribution which goes towards improving the sustainable transport infrastructure in the vicinity of the site. This is to mitigate the negative impact that the proposed development would have on the public highway e.g. increased traffic congestion. New developments impact on the demand of community facilities and the Council applies a tariff rate for S106 monies so that the level of contribution is dependent on the size and scale of the development in question. The County Council's Highways Development Management Team deal with this aspect of transport planning. Our partners, Living Streets received funding through the DfT’s Access Fund for their “Walk to 2017 – 2020” project. These partners and our officers are currently working

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with a number of schools and workplaces in the county in areas of poor air quality. They promote walking and active travel, identifying greener walking routes to schools and workplaces. Reducing car travel, congestion and pollution are key priorities.

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Chapter 3 Assessing the Travel and Transport Needs of Children and Young People

3.1 Introduction

By identifying the travel and transport needs of school and college pupils, the Authority can determine whether these are met by the sustainable transport infrastructure in Hertfordshire (see Chapter 4 for audit of infrastructure). Where these needs are not met, the Strategy will work towards implementing the most appropriate remedial measures to increase the number of pupils travelling to school sustainably. This section analyses various data and information sources to determine pupil travel needs and examines the barriers, both actual and perceived, to sustainable travel. It suggests possible approaches that could be adopted to improve the situation and this is fed into the main Strategy and associated Active Travel Strategy 2018 which is currently being up-dated to help support delivery of LTP4. 3.2 Data Sources The Department for Education (DfE) recommends analysing Hands Up Survey data to determine pupil travel needs. The Council also benefits from its own County Travel Survey data: i) The annual School Census was mandatory for all Local Authority schools and collected a wealth of information about each individual pupil e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, home location, etc. However, this is no longer a mandatory requirement for LA schools so since 2012 mode of travel data has no longer been collected. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, we will collect data through the online school travel planning website ‘Modeshift STARS’ and the Living Streets ‘Travel Tracker’ system. ii) The Hertfordshire County Travel Survey is carried out every three years and consists of a travel questionnaire and diary which is sent to at least 42,000 households across the County and includes information about school journey habits. iii) In January 2015 all schools in Regional England were added to the Modeshift STARS online school travel planning website. Schools are now able to record mode share data via this system. This provides an invaluable source of data.

As part of the review of Hertfordshire’s Home to School Transport Policy a second consultation included an online survey so parents and carers could inform us how they planned for their children to travel to school from September 2012. It is proposed to maintain the online survey for parents and carers so Hertfordshire County Council can collect information about potential future demand from parents and carers who would like to buy a seat on a vehicle run by a third party supplier. This data will be used for the purpose of potential future planning. The information will also be considered when updating future priorities for SMoTS.

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3.3 Data Analysis Techniques

Whilst a countywide assessment is needed to determine whether transport policies are working overall, it is important to consider the needs of pupils at an individual level and, as such, specific schools and colleges should be analysed. This section outlines a three tiered approach that is used when analysing travel mode data:- 1) County Level This provides an overall picture of school travel mode share within Hertfordshire and helps determine whether the Authority's plans and policies as a whole are effective in meeting its aims to increase the use of sustainable travel modes. Information at this level is also necessary for the purposes of Performance Indicator reporting (see Section 2.5). Travel needs identified from this feed into plans and policies at strategic level such as the Local Transport Plan. Section 3.4 summarises this analysis. 2) Area Level This method of analysis groups schools together that fall within a defined area or category. It allows the Authority to discover whether the same issues affect a number of neighbouring schools and then develop the most appropriate area-wide remedial measures to tackle these issues. Section 3.5 provides more information about this. 3) Individual School Level Travel to school information is collected through the on-line systems, Modeshift STARS and Living Streets’ Travel Tracker. This may highlight particular travel patterns of interest or concern. Analysis at this level is best achieved through the school travel plan process and this Strategy outlines the measures which are being taken to assist in their development. Findings at this level can also be fed into the Local Transport Plan (see the case study in Section 3.6 for an example of this).

Please note that Hertfordshire County Council strictly adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which was introduced in May 2018 and to other confidentiality requirements. Therefore, no individual pupil identities are ever published publicly nor do the Council publish individual school travel data. The information used is for statistical purposes only to help in the development of the Strategy. School travel plans always remain the property of the individual school and it is their decision to share this information with other parties.

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3.4 County Analysis

Figure 3.1 Travel to School Mode Share for the County

(Hands up survey 2018)

The outputs show that, overall, walking is the most popular mode of travel to school, increasing by 1.2% from 2015/16 to 44.2% in 2017/18, with current car use at 27.3%. Cycling increased from 2.3% in 2015/16 to 3.9% in 2017/18. Scooting to school has increased by 1.1% to 4.9% and Park and Stride has increased by 0.3% to its current level of 9.5%. It is clear that car travel continues to make up a significant proportion of school journeys and this is an area which is being addressed through the promotion of school travel plans. This positive trend is largely down to the work of The Active and Safer Travel Team within the Authority who provide specialist advice to schools on the development of

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school travel plans. The Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy puts in place further measures to support schools in the development and implementation of their travel strategies to ensure this positive trend continues. Census figures reveal that just over half of all children and young people across the county live within a reasonable walking distance of their school or college (800 metres for primary schools, 2km for secondary schools). 16% of pupils who live within these walking thresholds in 2010 were still driven to school. It is these pupils that the Authority particularly aims to target in promoting the use of sustainable travel although, in some cases, travel by car for these short distances is unavoidable.

3.5 Individual School Analysis

Analysis at county and area level provides a general indication of overall travel trends. However, it is only by examining individual schools that specific travel needs and barriers to sustainable travel are identified as wide variations in travel mode are evident at different schools. Each school travel plan outlines current travel trends and identifies existing barriers and opportunities to active and safer travel. The case studies that follow in this chapter provide examples of the school travel plan process and the success that they can achieve. It is clear that the travel plan process remains the best way of identifying the travel needs of pupils at an individual level. Section 5.7 describes the ways in which the Strategy will support school travel plan development ensuring vital information is readily available to schools. A key action included an extensive revamp of the travel section of the County Council's website https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/travel-to-school/school-travel-plans.aspx and this will be an ongoing process. STPs also include information about facilities available at each school e.g. bicycle parking, changing rooms, lockers, parent shelters, together with information about the sustainable transport initiatives they promote e.g. School Crossing Patrols, walking buses, park and stride options, together with information on walking, cycling and public transport routes to school.

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3.6 CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL TRAVEL PLANS

Example of Partnership Working: -

SAWBRIDGEWORTH TRAVEL CHALLENGE The four primary schools in Sawbridgeworth; Mandeville, Spellbrook, Fawbert and Barnard and Reedings, collaborated with Sawbridgeworth Town Council and Hertfordshire County Council`s Active and Safer Travel Team and came up with an exciting community initiative to encourage everyone out of their cars in order to achieve ‘greener’, more sustainable journeys to school. From Monday 26th September to Friday 30th September 2016, every child from each school was given a special passport which they used to record their active journeys to school. This included walking, scooting, cycling and ‘parking and striding’. Children at Spellbrook, for whom it’s too far to walk, were encouraged to park and stride. Each day the passports were stamped in the appropriate box of ‘transport’ used. To make it even more of a challenge, there was a competition between the four schools to see which one could do the most sustainable journeys in that week. Prior to the event, children at each school attended a special assembly from Hertfordshire County Council’s Active and Safer Travel Team who explained how The Travel Challenge would work. Each day had a different theme such as ‘Trainer Tuesday’, ‘Wacky Wednesday’ (wear something bizarre) or ‘Funky Footwear Friday’ which, no doubt, kept the children’s interest and enthusiasm going throughout the week. On Saturday 1st October 2016 between 11am and 2pm, Sawbridgeworth’s Town Council staged a Family Walk to various key spots around the town where there were ‘Silly Selfie Stops’, bugs and stamps to collect and stalls and refreshments in the car park. ‘Buster the Dinosaur’, Hertfordshire’s walking travel mascot, also made an appearance during the day. “The children were so excited to see Buster in their school assembly and could not wait to meet him again on the Sawbo Selfie Walk” said Christine Stewart, Deputy Head of Reedings. On the 10th October 2016, representatives from each of the four schools attended a presentation at the Council Chambers to see the winning school receive a fabulous trophy presented by The Mayor, David Royle. “The Town Council is very proud of our primary and junior schools for organising the Sustainable Journeys Week and were pleased to support it and the Town Walk on the Saturday. We hope both will become annual events and lead to some changed attitudes to always driving to school” commented David Royle. Terry Douris who, at the time, was Hertfordshire’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said “We want to encourage parents to leave their cars at home as often as they can. Getting the children involved in Walking Week is a fantastic way of engaging their enthusiasm. Not only will it help to cut congestion on our roads but it will encourage the children to stay fit and healthy. Hertfordshire County Council’s Active and Safer Travel Team, Sawbridgeworth Town Council and the schools involved, have worked hard to create this excellent sustainable travel initiative.” At the follow up meeting everyone involved agreed that the week had been a big success with up to 95% of children at Reedings school travelling sustainably. At Spellbrook School the week before the event only 10.27% travelled sustainably compared with 73.15% during the Travel Week. On the Saturday Silly Selfie Walk, between 260-300 families joined in on the day and very positive feedback was given about how much the children had enjoyed taking part and the great community spirit it instilled. The group are now planning on how to build on the success of the Travel Challenge with follow up events next year.

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3.7 Children’s Centres, Extended Schools and the 14 - 19 Agenda The concept of Extended Schools is discussed in detail in Section 2.2. These consortiums or "clusters" of schools provide a range of activities and services which are not traditionally associated with school building usage. Examples of extra-curricular use include childcare facilities, after school clubs, parenting and family support centres and ICT facilities for all the family. Young people are now required to stay in education or training until their 18th

birthday. This means an increase in the numbers of students travelling to, from and between schools to 6th forms, technical colleges and existing FE colleges. These journeys may not be at the traditional peak times for mainstream school activities so can create a whole new set of travel needs. The Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy will help ensure that that the issue of sustainable travel is central to the administrative arrangements of school consortia and collaborative courses. It is worth noting that applications for permission to expand a school, extend its hours of operation or change its access should be supported by a school travel plan. 3.8 Equality Act 2010 and Home to School Transport Policy Hertfordshire County Council has due regard to the Equality Act 2010 and the obligations set out within this. The Equality Act 2010 requires the Council, when exercising its functions, to have due regard to the need to:- (a) Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act; (b) Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; (c) Foster good relations between persons who share relevant protected characteristics and persons who do not share it. The protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are:-

Race Disability Gender Age Sexual orientation Religion or belief Pregnancy and maternity Marriage and civil partnership Gender reassignment

; When considering proposals and recommendations for changes to Hertfordshire’s Home to School Transport policy, the Cabinet Panels and Cabinet were made

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fully aware of, and actively considered, the County Council’s statutory obligations in relation to Equality. This included paying close attention to the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) produced by officers. An updated EQIA which is included in Hertfordshire County Council’s Integrated Plan from 2019-20 to 2022-23 is published on:- https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/freedom-of-information-and-council-data/open-data-statistics-about-hertfordshire/our-policies-and-procedures/equality-and-diversity/equality-impact-assessments-equality-analysis.aspx This will continue to be routinely monitored. The County Council's Admissions and Transport Team and the Active and Safer Travel Team have regular dialogue with one another to ensure that sustainability is considered when determining the most suitable travel mode for a child. The County Council is committed to promoting the development of independent self-reliant travellers and this is reflected in the decisions reached by Cabinet between March 2011 and October 2014. The SMoTS includes identified outcomes focusing on developing greater awareness and uptake of Independent Travel Training for all ages. By acquiring independent travel training skills, this will support young people with learning difficulties to achieve the ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ outcomes by taking part in training, supported internships and supported employment leading independent lives and being part of their local community. The Hertfordshire Local Offer provides information and video clips on ‘Preparing for Adulthood’. The Local Offer has been developed following the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms set out in the Children and Families Act 2014. More information about the SEND reforms and the Local Offer can be found at:- https://directory.hertfordshire.gov.uk/kb5/hertfordshire/directory/home.page

3.9 College Travel in Hertfordshire

In Hertfordshire there are four main colleges, spread across a number of campuses. 1) Hertford Regional College 2) North Hertfordshire College 3) Oaklands College 4) West Herts College Since September 1993, colleges have been self-governing and separate from the County Council.

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School Development Travel Plans The Highways Development Management section at the County Council assesses the highway implications of planning applications which propose alterations to buildings and their grounds and the construction of new buildings. As part of this process, Transport Assessments (TAs) must be submitted for larger planning applications to analyse the effects that the travel and transport patterns will have on local infrastructure. As part of TAs, Interim or Full Travel Plans should also be submitted which must include measures to mitigate adverse impacts that the development may have. Decision Notices are applied to the granting of school planning applications to ensure schools are actively engaged in the school travel plan process for the lifetime of the school following first occupation of the site.

3.10 Other Considerations

The SMoTS takes into account the travel needs of those pupils who live within Hertfordshire but attend a school outside the county. Similarly, there are a number of pupils who live outside Hertfordshire but attend a school within the county. Although these pupils make up a very small proportion of the total pupil population, their needs should not be ignored. There are a number of possible reasons why a child may travel into or out of the county, including parental or pupil preference, the need to attend a school with specialist facilities or because it is the closest school to home. Hertfordshire borders Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex, as well as the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Harrow and Hillingdon, though some children travel even beyond these regions. The SMoTS encourages greater dialogue between neighbouring authorities (see Section 5.8). The Authority also has a duty to consider children below compulsory school age so must also engage with nursery schools. The potential to shift travel to more sustainable modes is perhaps more limited given the young ages involved and the need for children to be accompanied on their journey. However, initiatives such as road safety education, beginner bike training and fun skills (cycling) and wider publicity surrounding the benefits of sustainable school travel to appeal to parents and carers are particularly relevant in these cases and the SMoTS should link closely with these. Independent schools must be included in the Strategy and the Active and Safer Travel Team supports these establishments too. The SMoTS includes working with independent schools to ensure that the Council’s goal of achieving greater sustainable school travel is met. Finally, although not a mandatory requirement of the SMoTS, it is hoped that staff travel can be addressed too. The provision of new or improved sustainable transport infrastructure should be of benefit to not only pupils, but also those that teach or assist them and their needs can be considered within the wider processes.

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Chapter 4 Audit of the Existing Sustainable Travel and Transport Infrastructure

4.1 Introduction

As part of the Strategy`s development, an audit of the existing sustainable travel and transport infrastructure was carried out. This has allowed Hertfordshire County Council to determine whether the mapped network is comprehensive and up-to-date. Work was commissioned to fill the gaps identified and to make sure the information held is reliable and continues to be so. 4.2 Pedestrian Routes and Crossings Footways next to roads are well mapped on the county's highway mapping system, and an assessment of their condition is regularly carried out and logged on to the UK Pavement Management System (UKPMS). The Rights of Way Network (including condition) is also well mapped and maintained. In addition, many other footway routes have been, and continue to be, fed into the Designated Route Network (DRN) for school admissions purposes. Work has also been completed to ensure that all pedestrian crossings in the county are mapped and the County Council's Active and Safer Travel Team has details of all School Crossing Patrol locations. Overall, the pedestrian network is considered to be well mapped and up-to-date and processes are in place to ensure that this continues to be the case. A study of the complete pedestrian network shows that routes are substandard for some schools in rural locations. This is generally because many lanes have no footways or formal crossing points. A number of schools within urban areas also suffer from substandard routes such as poor pavement widths or indirect pedestrian paths which do not follow "desire lines". This is particularly the case in historic town centres and can limit accessibility for those with disabilities. However, these are general observations and issues surrounding pedestrian routes tend to be very specific for each individual school and each individual school journey. As such, an analysis of the pedestrian network at a local level should be undertaken. Schools with accredited travel plans are prioritised and selected through the SRTS ranking process and the SRTS team work with those schools with specific reference to their school travel plan to identify barriers and opportunities to sustainable travel on pupils’ routes to school. Highway measures that could help to encourage sustainable journeys are explored. School Crossing Patrol sites are risk assessed annually and this information is also fed into the SRTS process.

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4.3 Cycleways and Cycle Facilities The county has several very good strategic routes and some urban areas benefit from a good cycleway network e.g. Stevenage.

Figure 4.1. A Pedestrian Crossing Outside Peartree Spring Primary School in Stevenage, Delivered Through the Safer

Routes to School Scheme

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Maps have been produced of the Hertfordshire cycle network and local cycle maps have been developed. The improved mapping of the Hertfordshire cycle network highlights which areas are well served by the cycleway network and which areas may need improving. This will assist in the prioritisation of areas which could benefit from new cycle routes and facilities. When assessing new routes and determining the best measures to encourage cycling, Hertfordshire's Active Travel Strategy outlines the ‘hierarchy of provision` approach. This shows that retaining cyclists on-carriageway is generally acknowledged as the best solution. Hertfordshire's Active Travel Strategy outlines in detail the reasons for this approach. Particular consideration will, therefore, be given to encouraging children to cycle by improving safety around schools and in residential areas where appropriate. Schools should assess their cycle facilities e.g. cycle parking, lockers, showers and changing rooms as part of the school travel plan development process.

4.4 Public Transport Routes and Infrastructure The settlement pattern of Hertfordshire, with its widespread towns and a vertically orientated transport system has created a complicated pattern of movement, heavily reliant on personal motor vehicles that lead to local congestion. Furthermore Hertfordshire facilitates movement to some key strategic economic areas in the UK. Issues on these networks can have serious implications for the economy, Hertfordshire residents and users of the network.

Hertfordshire is both a complex and a difficult geographical area in which to provide viable and sustainable bus services. Hertfordshire has some of the highest car/van ownership levels in the country. 87% of residents have access to a car compared to

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74% nationally (Hertfordshire Transport Facts 2017). There are also high levels of multiple car ownership. The county has high car ownership and use, leading to congestion and pollution on some roads and at local “hot spots”. Between 2001 and 2016 the population in Hertfordshire grew by 14% whilst traffic grew by 8% during this period. Traffic increased by 1.7% between 2015 and 2016. The county has many small towns with surrounding green belts which do not create natural conditions for commercial bus operation. The bus is used for 7% of journeys between 3 and 10 miles and 2.4% of journeys overall. Travel to school by bus in Hertfordshire is 9% (Hertfordshire Transport Facts 2017). The County Council needs to be able to further facilitate the development of the bus network by giving a clear policy lead and identifying those strategies which it believes will address the problem. This will help operators shape their businesses to meet shared objectives and also improve the dialogue for operators to influence actions by the public sector. The County Council believes that its Bus Strategy 2011-2031 helps residents understand what it is aiming to do with public funds. It is also of use to potential developers to establish how their proposals fit in with our aspirations and the steps they need to take to make development more sustainable. Current transport legislation offers limited powers/controls for the County Council to fundamentally change the commercial bus provision, yet expectations and aspirations are high for an integrated, high quality bus and rail network. The County Council has developed its 2011-2031 Bus Strategy at a time of financial restraint and also at a time of uncertainty for the bus industry. The Bus Strategy sets out a realistic and achievable vision for the shorter/medium term. Please note that the Bus Strategy will be replaced by the Intalink Bus Strategy, a supporting document to LTP4 and will be available in early 2020. The current document sets out the framework of strategic and detailed policies for passenger transport, the current situation and the challenges facing Hertfordshire. This provides the basis for the development of the network and infrastructure and, in particular, the corridors on which action will be focussed to achieve greatest benefit. Hertfordshire County Council hopes that the Bus Strategy provides the basis for local solutions within a countywide context. The remainder of the Bus Strategy sets out the detail on the required standards for services, facilities, bus stops etc. As such, the overall Bus Strategy supports the key challenges facing Hertfordshire County Council in terms of economic growth and carbon reduction through transport provision. In order to achieve this, the Authority will be concentrating its available resources to:-

work with all partners to maintain and improve the key commercial bus corridors;

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use the ‘Value for Money’ criteria to evaluate the benefits to the bus network of individual routes that the County Council may wish to subsidise in order to both maintain and improve the current bus network;

maintain and improve the current standards of infrastructure and

passenger information systems;

review the role of Community Transport provision across the county and identify where more local solutions could enhance/replace the network;

develop more innovative ways of attracting extra funding streams to help

deliver both the current and future service provision. Hertfordshire’s 2011-2016 Intalink Strategy set out the standards for passenger transport information and marketing for those next five years. The Bus Strategy and Intalink Strategy are currently being refreshed and will become the ‘Intalink and Bus Strategy’ when it is published in its final form. The County Council’s Local Transport Plan (LTP4) 2018-2031 gives growth, planning and economic context and direction for Hertfordshire and sets out the high level policies, strategies and actions to maintain and manage the transport network and address the identified challenges. It gives a lead to bus and rail operators in delivering parts of the network as a business. It also sets the scene for more detailed plans and strategies for areas of the county against the background of ongoing pressure on public service budgets. More detail can be found at: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/ltp 4.5 Road Safety Education and Training The County Council's Active and Safer Travel Team promotes road safety education and training in Hertfordshire. Early Years and primary school road safety education focuses on pedestrian skills training and Bikeability training to national standards. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-national-standard-for-cycle-training https://bikeability.org.uk/ Road Safety Officers train school staff to teach pedestrian skills to pupils at Key Stage 2. Using the local area around the school, children are encouraged to consider the road environment and develop practical skills for road safety and crossing the road. Interactive initiatives support pedestrian skills training for Key Stages 2/3 and, as such, a member of Hertfordshire County Council’s Active & Safer Travel Team worked as an adviser to a new series of road safety films produced by the Department for Transport (DfT). Following in the tradition of iconic campaigns such as ‘Kerb Drill’, ‘Tufty the Squirrel’, ‘The Green Cross Man’, ‘Hedgehogs’ and ‘Tales of The Road’, the new films support DfT THINK! educational resources for teachers and young people.

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https://www.think.gov.uk/education/?dm_i=4MKF%2CA7M1%2C2SVLMQ%2C149RJ%2C1 The first film is aimed at the 3-6 age group which the Active & Safer Travel Team advised on entitled ‘Crossing roads: kids know best’ and is available online via the THINK website at https://www.think.gov.uk/education/age/3-to-6/. The other series of films are for the 7-12 age group and the 13-16 age group are available by following these links:-

https://www.think.gov.uk/education/age/7-to-12/ https://www.think.gov.uk/education/age/13-to-16/ In addition, the team run a ‘Distractions’ programme for Year 6 pupils, aged 10-11 years of age, as they transition to secondary school. Child casualties (0-15 years) decreased by 11.5% (4) to 261. There was 1 child fatality, the first since 2014 (Hertfordshire Road Casualty Facts 2018). 27.6% of child casualties were pedestrians and being distracted by mobile devices or wearing headphones is often cited a factor for this age group. The half day workshop is designed to help pupils understand the importance of not using mobile phones or wearing headphones whilst crossing the road. The Active and Safer Travel Team also run training courses for children and adults to improve their cycle skills. Bikeability Level 1 is aimed at children aged 8/9 years to develop off-road cycle skills prior to taking Level 2 on-road training at age 10 plus. After passing Level 2, students can take Advanced Training at Level 3, which includes how to plan their route to school. More recently the team have provided Level 2 Bikeability training for adult asylum seekers and unaccompanied child asylum seekers who are in the care of Hertfordshire County Council. Disability bikes have been used to deliver specialised cycle training. The Active & Safer Travel Team encourages teachers to plan programmes of work so that they can include road safety in their subject areas or in the PSHE programme. In addition, Hertfordshire has in place an Independent Travel Training programme to support children and adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities on how to use public transport is overseen by the Admissions and Transport team in Children’s Services. 4.6 School Based Sustainable Travel Initiatives and Infrastructure Provision The Active & Safer Travel Team provides advice on how to set up Walking Buses and Park and Stride schemes. The team also promotes and supports national campaigns such as Walk to School Week and Clean Air Day. It is the schools themselves that coordinate these campaigns. These are all considered in more detail in Section 5.5.

4.7 Other Highway Features

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The Authority has a highway mapping system which shows speeds limits and classifications of all roads, some zig-zag markings, areas of traffic calming and which routes are lit. The SMoTS document feeds into this process to ensure information held on the system is in a format which allows highway features relevant to school travel to be clearly shown, easily accessible and regularly up-dated.

4.8 Barriers to Delivery of the Strategy

Bullying and poor behaviour can occasionally influence the travel choice of a child who may wish to be transported to school by car rather than travel alone on foot, by bicycle or on public transport. The Transport, Waste and Environmental Management Unit (TWEM) keeps a record of incidents of bullying and poor behaviour on the bus network. They have a Liaison Officer who deals with the problems of poor behaviour and works directly with bus operators, schools, parents/carers and pupils affected to resolve issues. TWEM has produced a Schools’ Guidance Behaviour Code of Conduct together with a Pupil's Guide to Good Behaviour. This is sent out when bus passes are issued. In addition, TWEM has produced a "How to Catch a Bus" guide which provides references to timetable information and gives practical advice on safer ways to travel on buses. This is sent to all students who are moving up to secondary school who have a bus pass issued to them. As mentioned earlier, pavements and rights of way are regularly inspected and their condition recorded. Work is routinely carried out to maintain and improve these non-emergency routes. Issues with narrow and/or poorly lit pavements are identified in a school’s travel plan and the most appropriate remedial actions can then be considered. It is also important to make the distinction between actual barriers to sustainable travel and perceived barriers. In some cases, a person's perception of a barrier may not be accurate or can be easily overcome by small changes. The SMoTS will consider this aspect and look to provide parents, carers and pupils with the information that they need for reassurance. In addition, a key part of school travel plans is to ensure that parents, carers and pupils can have their input so that these perceived barriers are made known to the Authority and can be considered. In 2011 the national walking charity, Living Streets, surveyed over 2,000 children and young people between the ages of 7 and 14 from across the United Kingdom to find out their perceptions and experiences of walking to school. The survey highlighted the barriers that children and young people face which they feel prevent them from walking to school. It was revealed that over a third (36%) were scared about walking to school because of speeding traffic.

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One in five children and young people were concerned about the lack of safe crossing points on their journey to school. Many pupils report being scared of walking to school alone, with nearly one in five secondary school pupils worried about being bullied on the walk to school and 39% scared by the risk of stranger danger. One in five primary school pupils don’t walk to school because their parents/carers don’t have time to walk with them. 52% of primary school aged respondents were not allowed to walk to school without an adult walking with them. This dropped to only 14% of secondary school pupils. 4.9 Accessibility Mapping

LPT4 has accessibility integrated throughout, aiming to improve the standard of access for all to the key services of education, health, work, food shopping and leisure by the most appropriate form of sustainable transport. Hertfordshire's Accessibility Strategy 2016-19 (which is currently being up-dated in line with LTP4) was a supporting document to LTP3 and dealt with access issues for all people. Its vision was "to develop a transport system that provides access to employment, shopping, education, leisure and health facilities for all, including those without a car and those with disabilities". As part of this, research was carried out to determine how accessible educational establishments are to the people of Hertfordshire by sustainable modes (walking, cycling and public transport). These are summarised below as maps in Figures 4.4 Walking to Primary schools, 4.5 Cycling to Secondary schools and to Further Education establishments. 4.6 Public Transport to Further Education. Each one provides an illustration of the time taken to travel to the nearest educational establishment by a sustainable mode. Areas which are uncoloured fall beyond the times listed in the key.

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Figure 4.4

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Figure 4.5

Figure 4.6

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These maps show some interest ing patterns. Of the areas mapped, the majority have reasonably good access to their local primary school by one or more sustainable modes. The large urban conurbations typically have several primary schools located in close proximity to one another, meaning urban based residents have journey times of less than 10 minutes. This can extend to 20 minutes in those areas immediately around the urban boundary, or for locations which lie along direct routes into an urban area. It is not surprising that more rural areas have higher journey times, generally exceeding 20 minutes. For secondary schools, more areas experience a greater journey time. This is largely due to the fact that there are fewer secondary schools than primary schools and so there is not the same proximity for most households. The urban/rural divide as seen with primary schools still exists, but is generally more pronounced. Significant areas of north and east Hertfordshire lie more than 20 minutes from the nearest secondary school and other pockets with higher journey times can also be clearly identified. For further education colleges, the time bandwidths have been altered somewhat to reflect the fact that most people are willing, and expect, to travel further to these more specialist establishments. Figure 4.6 shows that large areas across the centre and south of the county have good access to a further education college (less than 30 minutes) though, once again, it is rural north and east Hertfordshire which are least well served (greater than 30 minutes). There are limitations to the current methodology of accessibility mapping which should be acknowledged. For example, the software will simply recognise that a footpath exists but does not take into account its condition and suitability. It is also worth noting that in some of the most remote areas of the county even the implementation of a direct sustainable route would not reduce the journey time to a lower band width and the only solution would be to build a new school close by. However, the exercise is useful when considered in combination with other areas of the Pupil Needs Assessment.

4.10 Summary of the Infrastructure Audit

The County Council generally has very good coverage of the sustainable transport infrastructure; Although some general observations about the sustainable transport infrastructure can be identified, it is only when examining specific schools that the real issues become apparent. This highlights the importance of the development of school travel plans for all schools.

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Chapter 5 The Strategy

5.1 Introduction and Aims of the Strategy

This chapter outlines the key actions to be taken to deliver the Strategy. It is the heart of this SMoTS document and has been developed by bringing together the Pupil Travel Needs Assessment (Chapter 3) and the Transport Infrastructure Audit (Chapter 4).

This exercise has led to the development of five main aims:

1) To reduce the use of the car for journeys to, from and between educational establishments;

2) To improve accessibility to, from and between educational establishments;

3) To improve child road safety and the safety of the school community;

4) To improve child health including to help address obesity, to increase physical activity, improve mental health and wellbeing and to improve air quality.

5) To improve the infrastructure of the local environment.

Following consultation with internal stakeholders, eight objectives (statements of intent) were created to help achieve the aims:-

1) To improve walking routes to, from and between educational establishments;

2) To improve cycle routes to, from and between educational establishments and improve the cycle facilities within them;

3) To support the delivery of passenger transport services to, from and between educational establishments;

4) To promote safer use of the sustainable transport infrastructure;

5) To inform children and parents/carers of the travel options available to them (including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities);

6) To engage all schools and colleges in the travel plan process;

7) To encourage partnership working and strengthen links to other plans, policies and initiatives;

8) To continue SMoTS development and assess its effectiveness.

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Figure 5.1 presents these aims and objectives as a matrix to show the relationship between them. A tick indicates that an objective will help to meet a particular aim. A cross indicates that there is not a direct relationship.

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5.2 Objective 1: To improve walking routes to, from and between educational establishments The Travel Needs Assessment (Chapter 3) found that walking represents the most popular mode of travel. Journeys on foot are more suited to shorter distances and reasonable thresholds are considered to be 800 metres for primary schools and 2km for secondary schools. There may be legitimate reasons for such short-distance car use however, such as the lack of an appropriate walking or cycling route, or a pupil with a special educational need or disability. Where an appropriate route exists and there are no other limiting circumstances surrounding the child being driven, the parent/carer should be made of aware of the route and its use promoted. Route promotion and information provision is examined further in sections 5.5 and 5.6. Where a route does not exist or it is not suitable for pupils to use e.g. poorly lit, narrow paths, etc. investigations should be made to see if this situation can be remedied. These types of issues can be identified in a school’s travel plan, a key initiative in the delivery of this Strategy. 5.3 Objective 2: To improve cycle routes to, from and between educational establishments, and improve the cycle facilities within them Cycling is a realistic option for journeys of up to five miles where an appropriate route exists and if the necessary facilities are provided within the school. Although cycle journeys represent a small proportion of all school journeys (3.9% 2017/18 and increase of 1.8% from 2012/13 Modeshift STARS Data 2017/18) some schools, and groups within them, have a higher proportion of pupils travelling by this mode.

The physical implementation of works in and around the highway to improve or add to the cycle network will be a key part of Hertfordshire's Active Travel Strategy which is currently being up-dated, but it will also recognise the importance of promotion.

5.4 Objective 3: To support the delivery of passenger transport services to, from and between educational establishments Education trips represent a significant proportion of journeys on the Hertfordshire bus network and around 15,000 pupils use the local bus network to get to their place of education (LTP4). The County Council works with bus operators, schools, parents and carers to enhance and support access to education services, as well as the needs of the wider general public, and address other environmental, economic and social objectives. The vast majority of public bus services in Hertfordshire are operated by the private sector on a commercial basis. In 2016 this represented approximately 94% of registered local services, by usage. Hertfordshire County Council plans and contracts the remainder of local bus routes to ensure access to services and meet the needs of residents which would not otherwise be met commercially. The operation of these routes is determined on the basis of social need and calculated

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value for money.

The County Council works closely with local bus and coach operators through the Intalink Quality Partnership to develop and improve the commercial and contracted Hertfordshire bus network. Intalink delivers investment in infrastructure and technology and co-ordinates bus information, publicity and marketing. The County Council also works with partners such as developers, other local authorities and central government to seek wider investment in the bus network.

Hertfordshire County Council’s policy is to provide free home to school transport for pupils with a statutory entitlement and a network of education coach and taxi services is contracted to meet this demand where existing public transport services cannot. Tickets are issued to eligible students for travel on local commercial and contracted bus services, education coaches and taxis and train services as appropriate. A Hertfordshire SaverCard ticketing initiative has also been developed to offer half price travel for those aged 11 to 18 in full time education on all bus services in the county. The County Council’s role in respect of the railway network is different from the bus network. It helps to set the strategic context in which rail services operate but has no direct influence on the specification of those services, nor control over their operation. The County Council’s overall aspirations for the rail network are set out in the Council’s Rail Strategy.

The County Council does, however, have some influence over facilities and improvements at stations, such as bus interchanges, the provision of secure cycle storage and on the marketing and promotion of services. The County Council, therefore, has an important role in integrating the bus and rail networks where possible, including the provision of joint rail and bus travel to eligible students.

Further information:

Local Transport Plan 4 Bus Strategy 2016-19 (Currently being up-dated) Rail Strategy June 2016 Home to School Transport Policy

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/home-to-school-transport/home-to-school-transport.aspx

Intalink website (www.intalink.org.uk)

5.5 Objective 4: To promote the use of the sustainable transport infrastructure Promotion is one of the main stages of the SMoTS development as instructed by the Government's Department for Education (see Section 1.4). This demonstrates the importance placed on promotional activity alongside physical improvements to the sustainable transport infrastructure.

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Hertfordshire County Council has a long history of proactively marketing and promoting use of the sustainable transport infrastructure. For example, the County Council participates each year in Walk to School Week, a national initiative run in May and October by the pedestrian charity Living Streets. This encourages parents, carers, pupils and teachers to think about their journey to and from school and the benefits that walking could have for them and the environment. The Active and Safer Travel Team and our partners, Living Streets, provide resources to encourage participation such as wallcharts, stickers and online activities. May 2018 42,394 children - almost 50% of primary schools (208 out of 429 schools) - taking part in Walk to School Week.

Walking Buses are an ongoing initiative which consists of a group of school children walking to, from or between schools with parents/carers or volunteers, one of which acts as the ‘driver’ and leads the way and another, the ‘conductor’, stays at the rear. The walking bus uses a set route, stopping to collect pupils along the way. The world’s first ever walking bus began in Hertfordshire in 1998 at Wheatfields Junior School in St. Albans, with help from the Safer Routes to School team at Hertfordshire County Council. Back in the 1990s it was a ground breaking solution to the school run. The scheme has crossed continents and travelled as far as New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Not only do walking buses cut down on the number of cars on the roads at peak times, they help pupils learn good road sense and keeps them fit. A team of Road Safety Officers help schools set up and maintain walking buses. Hertfordshire County Council received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Premier Award in 1999 for the creation of the Walking Bus initiative and, in 2017, officers from the Active and Safer Travel Team were proud to be invited to attend the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards event which recognised 30 years of road safety achievements by road safety professionals.

Another initiative designed to encourage walking to school is the Park and Stride initiative. This is a particularly useful tool in helping to improve the safety of pupils around school sites and to ease traffic congestion and pollution, thus improving air quality outside school gates. It also helps those pupils who have to be driven to school to increase their levels of activity and sense of wellbeing. The idea of the scheme is to promote the permitted use of nearby car parks e.g. supermarkets, public houses, community centres, thereby enabling families to walk the remainder of the way.

A further initiative, ‘Don’t Be a Road Monster’, has been developed to help reduce parking and dangerous driving around schools. This involves parents and carers signing up to a ‘Parking Promise’ to encourage them to drive and park safely, legally and with consideration. Further information for this can be obtained by emailing the following address: activeandsafertravel@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Hertfordshire has approximately 140 School Crossing Patrols (SCPs) operating outside schools, on busy roads near schools or by major road junctions. SCPs

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can legally stop traffic to enable any pedestrian (child or adult) to cross the road safely. They provide a vital service as part of a broader provision of safer crossing facilities by the County Council and is part of the Council’s aim of reducing road traffic casualties whilst encouraging active travel. Any motorist or cyclist failing to stop when requested to do so by a School Crossing Patrol is committing an offence and can be reported to the police for prosecution. Whilst carrying out their duties, SCPs consider the safety of all, including vulnerable road users such as children, older people, those with special educational needs and disabilities and people for whom English is not their first language.

The very nature of their work means that School Crossing Patrols encourage active and sustainable travel which helps reduce congestion and pollution and thereby improves air quality around school sites. School Crossing Patrols cross approximately 24,000 primary school children every morning and afternoon on their journey to and from school together with their parents/carers, other adults and those with disabilities.

In support of National Clean Air Day on the 20tht June 2019, School Crossing Patrols wore caps with a Clean Air Day message outside schools across Hertfordshire and promoted the campaign by informing hundreds of children and their parents/carers that the air quality outside schools would be much improved if drivers switched their engines off when waiting outside schools. The SCP Service plans to build on the success of this campaign by taking part annually.

S is for School Crossing Patrols - #WorkingForYou A-Z

https://youtu.be/PTtIchBfAk4 One of the key cycling promotional initiatives in Hertfordshire has been Hertfordshire Cycling (formally Year of Cycling) which was supported by Public Health while being managed and delivered by TWEM. A map of all the cycling routes in the county has been produced and distributed. Although this is not a school specific project, by engaging with families across the county and encouraging people of all ages to try cycling, there will be an impact on the numbers of students choosing to cycle to school. In March 2017 the Active & Safer Travel Team began working with Living Streets on their outreach project ‘Walk to 2017-2020’. HCC officers are supporting our partners from Living Streets as they continue working over 3 years with a number of primary and secondary schools, further education establishments and workplaces to promote walking and active travel in areas that have been identified as having particularly poor air quality. They aim to identify cleaner and ‘greener’ routes to schools and workplaces with the aim of helping to improving air quality and safety around those sites. Theatre in Education is the use of drama to portray specific messages to young people in an interactive way and the Authority continues to identify opportunities to use this medium. For instance, during 2017 several primary schools in Hemel Hempstead took part in

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a road safety initiative “A Play in a Day”. Year 6 pupils took part in road safety performance workshops and then performed the play to the rest of the school thereby offering peer-to-peer learning.

In academic year 2016/17 the Active and Safer Travel Team carried out several campaigns including the very successful ‘Hertford Walking Week’. The aim of this was to encourage all children attending Hertford primary schools to participate in a week where they could walk, cycle or scoot to school. Each day had a different theme e.g. 'wear something green'. The idea was that on that particular day the town would be full of green-clad children travelling to their respective schools. They were provided with a passport to record their journeys and at the end of the week we saw which school had the most active pupils. Nine primary schools in Hertford agreed to take part in the event which, in itself, was quite an achievement. This was the first time we had participated in a large town event where all eligible schools had taken part. The event was comprehensively supported by two colleagues at Hertford Town Council who designed the passport and the Family Trail on the Saturday. This event had been a real collaboration success story, with East Herts Council, a local estate agent, Ocado and a scooter pods company all offering support. The data gathered was encouraging with an average rise of 20% in active journeys recorded of people that usually drive into town. The environmental charity ‘Global Action Plan’ have identified that swapping 1 in 4 car journeys in urban areas for walking or cycling could save over £1.1 billion in health damage costs per year. In this connection, campaigns supported by the Active and Safer Travel Team include ‘Anti Idling’ and ‘Clean Air Day’, ‘Stop Means Stop’ for School Crossing Patrols and ‘Learn 2 Live’ which is a theatre in education production aimed at Year 12 and Year 13 students who are new drivers, riders or passengers.

The Healthy Schools Award is a long-standing Government initiative that promotes the link between good health, behaviour and achievement. It is run by the County Council's Children’s Services Department and encourages pupils, parents/carers and staff to walk or cycle to school under safe conditions, utilising the school travel plan where it exists.

Core themes include PHSE, healthy eating, physical activity and emotional wellbeing. Each theme includes a number of criteria that schools need to fulfil. Engaging the children themselves and giving them a sense of responsibility is an important aspect of promotional initiatives. For example, Secondary School Council Conferences have been run to provide an opportunity for children on School Councils to discuss school travel issues with pupils from other schools and share ideas. Another example of direct pupil involvement is the Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTAs) scheme operating in selected schools across the county. JTAs are pupils who are selected to champion the benefits of active, safer and sustainable travel amongst their peers and help with the administrative set-up of competitions and assemblies.

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The Authority is registered with Modeshift STARS, which is a national initiative to encourage increased levels of active and sustainable travel in order to improve the health and well-being of children and young people. To support this, our Active Travel Mascot “Betsy” regularly visits schools to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Every school in England can participate in Modeshift STARS. On achieving bronze, silver or gold Modeshift STARS accreditation, schools will have achieved a brand new national standard school travel plan. All accreditations will be celebrated on an annual basis, thereby giving schools the opportunity to share good practice. http://modeshift.org.uk/ Schools with accredited travel plans receive a plaque to display in order to promote their good practice to those visiting the school.

The Active and Safer Travel Team takes advantage of conferences, training sessions and seminars to promote the benefits of active and sustainable travel to education professionals and school governors. Regular articles and updates are produced for the schools electronic information bulletin, The Grid and the Schools Travel pages on www.hertfordshire.gov.uk are regularly updated. Articles about upcoming active and sustainable travel initiatives ensure all those associated with schools are made aware in advance. A number of other methods are used by the Authority to promote sustainable travel to school.

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These include:- − Providing information at school assemblies;

− Media coverage when developing a promotional strategy e.g. through local radio

or newspapers; − Leaflets for parents and carers; − Mail-outs to headteachers and members of the school community;

− Digital media campaigns.

The pedestrian skills training programme, the Bikeability cycle training programme and the Independent Travel Training programme are also important initiatives in the promotion of sustainable travel to school. These are discussed in Chapter 4. 5.6 Objective 5: To inform children, parents/carers of the travel options available to them (including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities) Improving the sustainable transport infrastructure and promoting its use are key actions needed to increase the number of pupils travelling sustainably to school. However, this will not take place if people are not informed about the practicalities of travelling by these methods. This means that, through the Schools Travel Plans, parents/carers and pupils have easy to information about:- - Route locations, including whether these are suitable for pupils to use e.g. is the footway wide enough and well lit; is there a School Crossing Patrol, what are the speed limits of adjacent roads; which areas are traffic calmed? - Passenger transport information e.g. where is the nearest bus stop or rail location; which buses and trains run from these and how often; are they running on time? This can be accessed through Intalink www.intalink.org.uk 5.7 Objective 6: To engage all schools and colleges in the Travel Plan process Government guidance makes it clear that the SMoTS should consider the needs of pupils within individual schools rather than concentrating solely on strategic policies. Throughout the development of this Strategy, it was clear that the best way to achieve this was through the existing school travel plan process. This has a number of benefits which are outlined below: − A number of Hertfordshire schools already have a travel plan, each one

containing a wealth of information about travel trends within the school and the

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perceived barriers and opportunities to active and sustainable travel; − The County Council has dedicated Road Safety Officers already in place, with

each Officer having responsibility for a specific part of the county. They have built up good working relationships with many schools and have excellent local knowledge of the issues that restrict some pupils from travelling sustainably;

− School travel plans are widely recognised as the most effective way of

tackling the problems associated with car use and are nationally implemented by all Local Authorities;

− The implementation of remedial measures and the provision of new facilities or

initiatives appropriate to the schools’ unique situation often result from information outlined in a school travel plan. They, therefore, act as a catalyst to implementing positive change;

− Countywide figures in recent years show sustainable travel amongst pupils has

increased significantly since the introduction of STPs and the trends within individual schools are also very positive. Our 2017/18 hands up survey figures collected through Modeshift STARS, representing 22,613 children, are very positive with a reduction in car use from 27.5% to 27.3% since last year. The number of pupils travelling actively and sustainably to school during 2017/18 was 72.7% (Modeshift STARS Data).

Now schools are encouraged to keep their travel plans monitored and up-dated by using the Modeshift STARS online travel planning system. This will enable Officers from the Active and Safer Travel Team to monitor progress on the implementation of Action Plans, for modal shift for individual schools and for the county as a whole. 5.8 Objective 7: To encourage partnership working and strengthen links to other plans, policies and initiatives Sections 2.2 and 2.3 outline the various plans, policies and initiatives which link in with the SMoTS and play a part in its development. Similarly, SMoTS will help to determine the direction and success of a number of these plans. 5.9 Objective 8: To continue effective SMoTS development and assess its success The SMoTS marks the approach to the implementation of Council polices relating to sustainable school travel. The SMoTS development is a continuous process and the Government has placed a duty on Local Authorities to produce an updated Strategy each year by 31st

August. This provides an excellent opportunity to assess progress over the past 12 months and set the key priorities for the coming year. It also allows longer term actions to be broken down into more manageable stages if necessary. In addition, SMoTS will look to further its opportunities to consult with key stakeholders.

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The Hertfordshire Year of Cycling, the Year of Walking, 2018’s Year of Physical Activity and 2019 Legacy Year also created opportunities to engage with colleagues in Public Health and incorporate active travel into strategies such as the Healthy Weight Strategy and we have supported The Year of Physical Activity through the school travel plan process. Section 2.6 stresses the importance of partnership working between individuals and organisations that have an interest in school travel such as District Councils, Public Health, Children Services, Councillors and Highways Department

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Chapter 6 Conclusion

6.1 Conclusion

This Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy sets the future direction of school travel policy implementation. It is clear that Hertfordshire County Council already has in place a comprehensive package of measures to meet its responsibility to improve the sustainable transport network and to promote its use. Most notably these include School Travel Plans, School Crossing Patrols and road safety training for pedestrians and cyclists and the Safer Routes to School programme. Key to delivering the Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy will be continuing to promote the Modeshift STARS on line school travel plan system and through the planning application process when Full Travel Plans are required for new school developments and school expansions. We will progress with the on-going development of the School Travel section of the County Council's website and further use of social media and partnership initiatives. This will ensure educational reform and Public Health strategies embrace the concept of active, safer and sustainable travel at every opportunity.